Maine Environmental NewsAction Alert - Saturday, May 25, 2019 Thanks for visiting Maine Environmental News, a service of RESTORE: The North Woods. MEN is the most comprehensive online source available for links to conservation and natural resource news and events in Maine (and a bit beyond; hey, we're all connected). We have posted summaries and links to 60,000 news articles and announcements. We also post breaking stories and exclusives. Be sure to check not only today's news, but take a look at the headlines from the past several days as well. Articles often come to our attention a few days after they are published. Follow us on Twitter @MaineEnviroNews. ~ Jym St. Pierre, Editor

Maine Bicentennial Conference, May 30-Jun 1Event - Posted - Friday, May 24, 2019 In addition to scholarly panels ($60), several elements (museum exhibits and the keynote event by two Pulitzer Prize winning historians on May 31) are free to the public. A Maine History Festival for students and cultural organizations to present their own research and planning for the state bicentennial will be part of the conference just prior to the keynote event.

Great Maine Scavenger HuntEvent - Posted - Thursday, May 23, 2019 The Great Maine Scavenger Hunt is back (year 3). Use this list as your Maine summer vacation guide! Do as much or as little of it as you want. Sponsored by Down East magazine.

Maine Trail Finder 3.0Announcement - Thursday, May 23, 2019 The Center for Community GIS has launched the third version of Maine Trail Finder with the same great trail maps and descriptions and lots of new features.

Ban Aerial Herbicide Spraying for DeforestationAction Alert - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Before May 23, urge legislators on the Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Committee to support LD 1691, An Act To Ban Use of Aerial Herbicide Spraying for the Purpose of Deforestation. ~ Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

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EPA Watchdog Finds Ex-Chief Scott Pruitt Spent $124,000 On 'Excessive' AirfareNational Public Radio - Thursday, May 16, 2019 Scott Pruitt, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and his staff spent roughly $124,000 in excessive travel costs during a ten-month period, according to EPA's internal watchdog. Pruitt, who resigned from EPA almost a year ago amidst a litany of ethics allegations, and his personal security detail flew in first or business class "without sufficient justification and, initially without appropriate approval authority." The EPA's Office of the Inspector General recommended the agency recover the excessive costs. Pruitt is not the first member of the Trump administration to be questioned about his travel on the taxpayer dime. Tom Price, former head of the Department of Health and Human Services, broke federal rules and former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke violated that agency's travel policy.

Maine timber industry opposes bill to ban some aerial spraying of herbicidesAssociated Press - Thursday, May 16, 2019 Maine's timber industry is pushing back at a proposal to restrict aerial spraying of herbicides. The bill, proposed by Democratic Senate President Troy Jackson, would ban the use of “aerial herbicide spraying for the purpose of deforestation.” Members of the timber industry say that definition is far too broad and would take a valuable tool away from companies that harvest trees from Maine’s vast forests. Anthony Hourihan, director of land development for Irving Woodlands, says the company uses aerial herbicide spraying to halt the growth of vegetation that competes with valuable trees.

Maine coast already feeling effects of climate changeWCSH-TV6 - Thursday, May 16, 2019 Data from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute says since 1982, the temperatures in the Gulf have warmed about 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit. The summer of 2018 saw higher surface water temperatures than ever. Maine state government is devoting new attention to climate change, with Gov. Janet Mills setting ambitious goals to have Maine reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and eliminate non-renewable electricity by that same time. But much of the attention to climate may be about mitigation — finding ways to deal with the problem, making coastal communities more resilient, and planning for future impacts on various fisheries. And, since climate change is also a political issue, there is still not universal agreement on the problem or the cause.

Bates College achieves carbon neutral status to help stave off climate changeSun Journal - Thursday, May 16, 2019 Twelve years after vowing to make its campus carbon neutral, Bates College has reached its goal before a self-imposed 2020 deadline. Officials said Bates is the seventh college in the country — and fourth in Maine — to become carbon neutral from among the 700 that signed a pledge in 2007 to achieve the target. Three other colleges in Maine, including Colby, Bowdoin and the College of the Atlantic, have achieved carbon neutral status.

Recreational cod fishing could restart in the Gulf of MaineAssociated Press - Thursday, May 16, 2019 Recreational fishing for Atlantic cod has not been allowed in the Gulf of Maine recently due to concerns about the decline in the fish’s population. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the fish could withstand a very limited fishery at the moment. Federal regulators are considering a proposal to allow recreational fishermen to catch one Gulf of Maine cod per year during limited seasons in September and April.

Company behind Northern Pass accuses NH agency of failing to do its jobAssociated Press - Thursday, May 16, 2019 A company that lost a bid to build a hydropower project accused the New Hampshire state committee charged with making the decision of failing to do its job. Last year, the state’s Site Evaluation Committee denied the Northern Pass, which would bring hydropower from Canada to markets in southern New England, over concerns from communities and environmentalists that it would harm the region’s tourism industry and hurt property values. Eversource wants the court to remand the case back to the committee for reconsideration. It said Wednesday it still wants to build the Northern Pass.

No guarantee $1 billion CMP line will deliver new energy, Massachusetts AG warnsBangor Daily News - Thursday, May 16, 2019 While Maine continues to debate the potential environmental impacts of Central Maine Power Co.’s proposed 145-mile transmission line, the Massachusetts attorney general and environmental groups have warned the contracts that would govern power sold over a completed line could undermine the state’s attempt to bring new amounts of clean, renewable power into New England. Massachusetts ratepayers could pay $1 billion for a line through western Maine that doesn’t actually bring them any new energy, the attorney general said in legal filings. In response, a Hydro-Quebec spokesperson called the scenario “illogical,” explaining the utility would want to maximize its exports to increase revenue.

One of Maine’s biggest lakes has too many fish. The state wants your help.Bangor Daily News - Thursday, May 16, 2019 If you’re an avid angler, you may think that there’s no such thing as a lake with too many fish in it. If you’re a fisheries biologist, you know that’s not true. And that’s why state biologists in the Moosehead Lake region are preparing for the second annual Chesuncook Lake Salmon Derby on Memorial Day weekend: They need to reduce the number of voracious landlocked salmon swimming around in the lake.

Planners schedule subdivision review as townspeople consider whether they want to buy the property away from developersYork Weekly - Thursday, May 16, 2019 Plans for the 121-unit McIntire Woods subdivision on Mary McIntire Davis Trust land in York will be before the Planning Board May 23 for final approval — the last step needed to develop the property, as the Maine Department of Environmental Protection recently issued its permit for the subdivision. The Planning Board meeting comes days after the May 18 town elections, when voters are being asked in a nonbinding question if they want the town to purchase the property for between $7 million and $8 million as negotiated last winter between the town and the Davis Trust.

A decision limiting access to seaweed has renewed a debate over access to the shoreBangor Daily News - Thursday, May 16, 2019 In March, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that harvesters must have permission from the upland property owner to cut seaweed above the low-tide line. The decision has resulted in a flurry of legislative proposals. If the Legislature does pass a bill that boosts public access rights to the intertidal zone, many people think it won’t be long before another lawsuit is filed and makes it way back to Maine’s top court. If that happens it will give the court the chance to more broadly address the issue of public access below the high tide line and to negate what he says — as do three state supreme court justices — was a bad decision 30 years ago in the Moody Beach case.

South Portland emissions controversy inspires bill to require local noticePortland Press Herald - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Lawmakers from South Portland want to strengthen the state’s notification and air quality testing requirements in response to concerns that regulators failed to inform city officials about long-standing emissions violations from a petroleum tank farm. Two bills would require the Maine DEP to notify municipalities when any ‘notice of violation’ has been issued for emissions infractions and to require independent, third-party testing of emissions.

Restoring Parks, Creating JobsOther - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 A Pew-commissioned analysis, “Restoring Parks, Creating Jobs: How Infrastructure Restoration in the National Park System Can Create or Support Jobs,” found that addressing the National Park Service’s maintenance backlog would create or support nearly 110,000 infrastructure-related jobs nationwide. Maine could gain 573 jobs by investing in infrastructure and preservation projects that are on the NPS deferred maintenance list.

Words matter: Call it a Crisis350.org - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Millions of school children around the world are striking from school to underscore that their future is at stake. The world’s top climate scientists are ringing the alarm bells as 1 million species are now at risk of extinction. Yet, in 2018, only 3.5% of national television news segments discussing climate change referred to it as a “crisis” or an “emergency.” The coverage of climate change we see on the screen does not reflect the reality out in the world.

Measure That Would Effectively Kill CMP Project Gets Tepid Nod From Legislative CommitteeMaine Public - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 A legislative committee gave tepid approval Wednesday to a measure that could effectively kill Central Maine Power's controversial proposal for a high-voltage transmission line through western Maine. As amended, the bill would require approval from two-thirds of municipalities that would host "high-impact" transmission projects, such as CMP's billion-dollar, 141-mile power line. It would also require tangible benefits to the state of significantly higher value than what CMP has offered.

Rare hawk that flew from Mexico to Maine will be memorializedPortland Press Herald - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Friends of Deering Oaks is trying to raise $29,000 to pay a Maine artist to create a life-sized bronze sculpture of the rare great black hawk that took up residence in the park last year. The raptor captured widespread attention from birders and the public after it settled in the park, thousands of miles from its native range in Central and South America, from late November until it was found unable to fly during a snowstorm on Jan. 20. It was only the second time a great black hawk had been seen in the United States, Maine Audubon said.

Opponents of Central Maine Power’s $1 billion hydro project claim a legislative victoryBangor Daily News - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 After Maine’s public advocate warned that it could “kill the project,” a legislative panel endorsed a bill on Wednesday that would mandate local approval of Central Maine Power’s proposed corridor despite a deep split on the issue that crossed party lines. The debate over the proposal from Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, the co-chair of the Legislature’s energy committee and a key critic of Maine utilities, showed an intra-party split among Democrats and may force a showdown between the Legislature and Gov. Janet Mills.

Opinion: Bioproducts are an important part of Maine’s economic futureBangor Daily News - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Research at UMaine’s Forest Bioproducts Research Institute has demonstrated many of the industry applications for biobased chemicals and products made from forest residuals. Our state is uniquely poised to grab a share in the growing global “bioeconomy.” Except Maine doesn’t offer financial incentives to biobased companies. This means Maine is losing investment to other states. In order to be competitive, lawmakers must pass LD 1698, a bill that provides a production tax credit similar to policy in other states that will incentivize biobased manufacturing. ~ Jamie Chittum, Biobased Maine

Column: Studying nature’s changesTimes Record - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Phenology refers to how plants and animals response to changes in climate – either between seasons or between years. Anyone can get out there and observe these changes and by creating a community of scientists, we can better understand these natural cycles. ~ Susan Olcott

Casco Bay on front lines of climate changeWorking Waterfront - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Mike Doan, who has been with the Friends of Casco Bay for more than 20 years and is a research associate, said, “Climate change is happening faster than we could have expected.” For most of the previous 30 years, the organization would be out on the bay doing monitoring work two or three times a month. Now, such assessments must be done more frequently, and with more sophistication, using data monitoring equipment placed in specially licensed lobster traps.

What makes the spruce grouse so greatBangor Daily News - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 With the spruce grouse, males come back every year, so you get to know them — and their individual personalities — over time. But that’s not the only reason he’s a fan. Follow along as Bob Duchesne describes his favorite bird (and spots five of them in one morning). [video]

Lenny the Chocolate MooseOther - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Lenny is an animal-sized tribute to chocolate, and to the state of Maine. A 1,700-pound behemoth, Lenny is a milk-chocolate moose, the star of an edible animal habitat hidden inside of Len Libby Candies, a chocolatier in Scarborough, Maine.

NH Supreme Court Hears from Both Sides on Northern PassAssociated Press - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 The New Hampshire Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments over a controversial project that would bring hydropower from Canada to markets in southern New England. Last year, the state's Site Evaluation Committee denied the project known as Northern Pass over concerns that it would harm the region's tourism industry and hurt property values. The company behind the project, Eversource, argued the committee failed to consider all the evidence and misapplied its own rules. The ruling prompted Massachusetts to abandon its plans to get energy from the $1.6 billion project, which calls for constructing a 192-mile transmission line to bring 1,090 megawatts of hydropower from Canada to New England.

Writer George Smith talks outdoors, ALS at ‘Community Voices’ eventMorning Sentinel - Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Writer and outdoorsman George Smith reflected on his time at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, legislative and environmental issues, and his struggle with ALS during a talk Tuesday night at Colby College. Smith, who is in a wheelchair, spoke as part of the “Community Voices” event series along with Travis Barrett, sports writer for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. More than 160 people attend the talk. Smith also talked about how being in a wheelchair has opened his eyes to how many places in Maine are not wheelchair-accessible, including most recreation trails.